Cabinet



Aug. 22, 1944. c. l. oRElLLY CABINET Filed 0011. 30 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug- 22, 1944 c. L. o'RElLLY 2,356,688

CABINET Filed Oct. 30, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT OR.

Patented -ug. 22, 194% CABINET Charles L. OReilly, New York, N. Y. Application October 39, 1941, Serial No. 417,096

2 Claims.

This invention relates to cabinets and has as its object the provision of a concealed cabinet which will be relatively simple in structure,

economical in manufacture and highly efcient in use.

Another object of my invention is to provide an open face display stand upon which salable articles may be placed and which may be closed up when not in use by confining a rack with articles A still further object of my invention is the provision of a novel assembly for roll screen closure members.

Still another object of this invention is the provision in guided roll screen closure members of a guide and latch means for such closure for maintaining the latter in closed position.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel details of construction which will become apparent as described in the specication in view of the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is avperspective view of a cabinet embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional detail view of the same and at larger scale with respect to the showing in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section of the head structure of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section of the lower portion of Fig. 2 and is complementary to the head structure of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a guide and latch bar of the roll screen embodied in my invention;

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of the lock and latch operating unit as seen from line 6--6 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 'l is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper end of the guide rail showing a keeper for the latch of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower end of the roll screen seen in Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a bearing used on the roller screen of Fig. 8;

Iig. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the tensioner of the roll screen and end supports therefor;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of a housing for the roll screen; and

Fig. 12 is a sectional detail view of the parts seen in Figs. 8 to 11 inclusive in assembled relatlon.

Referring to Fig. 1 my collapsible display unit Il) is shown associated-with a cabinet I I which is adapted to be placed in public places where the goods contained in the display unit may stimu'- late the sale of such goods. Such a cabinet is shown and described in my copending application iiled on even date herewith. The display unit is, of course, adapted to be installed in-any place wherein there is provided a suitable chamber or compartment, such as the interior space I2 provided by the walls of the cabinet II. For example, such a chamber may be provided by forming a niche in a wall of a building whereby to provide a back wall such as the wall I3 in the cabinet II within the recess or the space I2.

'I'he new display unit is provided with a merchandise supporting rack I4 comprising a back panel I5 hingedly mounted at its upper end as at I6 on the inner wall I3 of the recess I2. A pair of side walls I1 extend forwardly of the back panel I5 to support a plurality of shelves I8 formed on the panel I5 on the side thereof facing an opening I9 provided by the recess I2. In the present instance each of the shelves I8.is provided with a baffle 20 in the form of a glass vpanel 2| having a beaded upper edge and being supported at its ends in a groove 22 formed by a portion of the side wall Il bent inwardly toward the shelves I8 together with a pair of stamped lugs spaced therefrom a distance substantially the thickness of the glass panel 2l. Thus, at each of the shelves Il there is formed a pocket 23 wherein articles of merchandise may be lodged in full view of persons standing before the cabinet II.

The bottommost shelf I8 of the shelves I8 has a channel-shaped finishing rail 24 suspended therefrom to shield the lower area L` of the recess I2 from view. Likewise mounted on the bottom ofthe shelf I8 is a hinge 25 to which is attached a bracket member 26 adapted to rest upon a bar 21, later to be explained, to prop the rack I4 in an extended condition as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. "Thus, the shelves are arranged in a terraced condition in a manner such that the interior of each pocket 23 may be reached from labove. As seen in Figs. 2 and 4, the outward pivotal movement of the supporting rack or shelf assembly I4 is limited through the medium of a chain 46,. one end of which is attached as at 41 to the bracket member 26 and the opposite end attached as at 48' to the bottom wall of the cabinet.

The upper area U of the recess I2 is provided with a head plate 28 over the opening I8, which head plate 28 provides a mounting for a swinging lamp structure indicated at 29. The lamp structure 29 comprises a reector housing 39 hingedly mounted as at 3| on the head plate 28 in such manner that the reflector 30 may be extended horizontally outside the recess I2 with the open lower side of the reflector disposed over the display rack I4. The reflector is held in extended position by means of a prop 32 hingedly mounted as at 33 just above the hinge mounting I6 of the display rack, one wall of the reflector housing 30 having an extending lug 34 against which the free end of the prop 32 is placed as shown in Fig. 2. The prop 32 in addition to supporting the reector 30 also provides a shield and reector surface which conceals the upper area U of the recess from view and at the same time is adapted to deect light rays down upon the shelves I'I.

4Arranged in the reflector housing 30 is an illuminating means 35 in the form of an electric lamp, a fluorescent tube or the like. The arrangement is such that rays of light from the lamp 35 are deiiected downwardly by the reilector 30 onto the terrace of article containing pockets 23 so that each of the pockets is illuminated and the contents thereof made more visible from the exterior of the cabinet I2.

By the foregoing arrangement I have provided a pleasing and attractive as well as an eicient 'and useful display stand adapted for the sale of articles such as candy, iiowers, newspapers, magazines and the like, without requiring a great amount of floor space since the supporting shelves of my device are arranged in vertical alignment.

Additional advantages of my display unit arise from the compactness of construction whereby when the unit is not in use and the attendant desires to close up shop, a minimum amount of space is required to house the unit and a simple closure member provided for locking up the unit.

In closing up my new unit the rack I4 is swung further out to release the hold of the bracket 26 upon the bar 21 and the bracket 26 disengaged from the bar 21 so that the rack is free to swing by gravity into a hanging condition within the recess I2 as indicated in dotted lines. A handle 36 is provided in the apron or rail 24 so that the rack may be gently lowered into the hanging position aforesaid and also to facilitate swinging the rack I4 into extended position.

After the illuminating means 35 is extinguished in a well known manner, the lamp structure 29 is released by swinging the reflector 30 slightly clockwise (Fig. 2) to release the lug 34 from the extended end of the prop 32 and the latter being swung upward (clockwise) and the lamp structure 29 is lowered (counterclockwise) into the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 2.

It is particularly pointed out that when the rack I4 and lamp 29 are folded in, the entire unit is confined within the recess I2 inside of the opening I9. Closure means for the opening I9 is provided in the form of a roll screen unit 3'I now to be explained.

Mounted upon the bottom wall 38 of the recess I2 is the roll screen unit 3'I comprising a housing 39 (Figs. 11 and 12) having open ends normally closed by end plates 40 and 4I. Within this housing is disposed a spring tensioned roller 42 in the form of a tube 43 mounted upon a shaft 44 extending between the end walls 40 and 4I. the shaft 44 by means of bearings 45 (Figs. 9 and 12) to provide freedom of movement for a coil spring 46 having one end 41 thereof extended into and fixed to the shaft 44 and its opposite end 48 bent back in a plane parallel to the shaft 44 to provide an anchor. The anchor end 48 of the spring 46 extends into an opening 49 formed in the tube 43 and normally rests in a depressed seat formation 50 thus connecting the spring 46 to the tube 43.

The spring 46 is pre-tensioned by rotating the shaft 44 prior to the final assembly. This is accomplished by allowing one end 44 0f the shaft to extend beyond the end plate 40 while the opposite end just has suflicient bearing to support the shaft concentrically within the housing 39. The end 44' of the shaft 44 is provided with a drilled opening O adapted to receive a pin P and when the end 44 is extended as aforesaid a tool is connected to the opening O to wind up the coil spring 46. When a suflicient number of turns are made the pin P is placed in the opening O and the shaft 44 slid to the right (Fig. 12) until the pin P seats in a transverse groove G formed in the end plate 40. The opposite end of the shaft 44 is threaded and a nut placed thereon is drawn tight to hold the end plates 4U and 4I on the housing 39 and to anchor the shaft in fixed condition, leaving the tube 43 free to rotate.

Wound about the tube 43 i's a fiexible 'shutter member 5I in the form of a wire mesh screen having a tough plastic substance applied thereto by dipping, to form webs of such plastic substance in the normally open mesh screen and seal the entire screen off as a solid opaque panel. One end of the shutter 5I is attached to the roller 43 while the Opposite or free end extends out through an opening 52 formed in the housing 39.

Mounted upon the jamb sections of the opening I9 are guide strips 53 providing inwardly exposed grooves 54 adapted to provide a track wherein the side edges of the shutter 5I may be moved vertically. The free end of the shutter 5I is provided with a bead or seam 65 to which is attached by means of bolt 55 the bar 21 heretofore referred to. A barrel type lock 56 is arranged in the central portion of the bar 21 with the keyhole of the barrel exposed to the front of the cabinet II. A rocker arm 51 is keyed to the rotatable portion of the barrel and has pivotal connection as at 58 with a pair of latch bars 59 extending respectively to the respective sides of the bar 21. The end portions 60 of the latch bars 59 are guided for lateral movement through openings 6I formed in end walls 62 of the bar 21.

The upper end of the guide strips 53 has formed therein a keeper slot 63 into which the end portions 60 of the latch bars 59 extend when the barrel lock 56 is positioned by a key in locked condition. The end portions 60 function as latch bolts engaging in the keeper slots 63 to prevent the lowering of the bar 21.

The foregoing description makes apparent a novel arrangement of parts whereby to provide a compact and inexpensive display stand which The tube 43 is arranged concentrically on utilizes a minimum amount of space and yet presents a useful merchandise containing rack which may be lreadily installed in numerous places as well as in portions of already constructed cabinets. y

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: Y

1. A display device comprising a cabinet provided with an open front and Ia back wall, a shelf assembly normally occupying the interior of the cabinet and adapted to be displayed through the open front thereof and comprising a plurality of shelves positioned between a back and side walls of the shelf assembly, means providing 4a hinge connection between the back wall of the cabinet and the back wall of the shelf assembly to permit the shelf assembly to be pivoted from its position within the interior of the cabinet to a display position with respect thereto, a member hingedly connected to the bottom of said shelf assembly and having an intermediate portion adapted to eng-age the cabinet for supporting the shelf assembly in said display position, means providing the hinge connection between said member and said shelf assembly, and a flexible element connecting said member to the cabinet to limit outward pivotal movement of the shelf assembly with respect to the cabinet.

V2. A display case comprising a cabinet provided `with side and back .walls and an open front, a shelf assembly normally occupying the interior of the cabinet and adapted to be displayed through the open front thereof and comprising a plurality of shelves positioned between a back and side wallsof the shelf assembly, means providing a hinge connection between the back wall of the cabinet and the back wall of the shelf assembly to permit the shelf assembly to be pivoted from its position within the interior of the cabinet to a display position with respect thereto, movable means including a bar element extending transversely of the open front, for closing the open front of said cabinet when said shelf assembly is confined in the interior thereof, lock means carried by said bar element and cooperating with an element of said cabinet to lock said movable means in closing position with respect to said open front, a member hingedly connected to the bottom of said shelf assembly and having an intermediate depending portion adapted to engage said bar element of said movable means, for supporting said shelf assembly in display position, when the movable means is disposed from closing position with respect to the open front, and means providing the hinge connection between said member and said shelf assembly.

CHARLES L. OREILLY. 

